


You're Home

by SkyDancerr



Series: The Mileven Depression Series [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Post-Gate fic, Post-Season/Series 02, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-21 21:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17050661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyDancerr/pseuds/SkyDancerr
Summary: Mike waited 353 for his love to come back to him. And after waiting that long, he has to let her go to the place that held her hostage for 12 years. What if he loses her again? What will he do? But when Eleven comes back safe and back in his arms, he knows one thing for sure: she's home. For good.





	1. You're Home (Part One)

"Alright, I'll admit, I thought you dipshits were going to get us killed with that stupid idea, but I'm glad I believed you and that we didn't get killed," Steve Harrington speaks as him and the four teens enter the Byers' house after setting the tunnels on fire and distracting the Demodogs. Now, you see, Mike Wheeler would normally feel proud after hearing Steve admit that his supposedly stupid plan had worked, but his mind is on other things.

His mind is on Eleven.

He has spent months and months in a deep depressive state of missing her, of missing her soft voice she used when she talked to him; missing her sweet smile, that made her eyes shine; missing seeing her in the fort he'd made her. Everything in his house reminded him of her, everything at school reminded him of her. He would sit in science class with the images of her using her powers to make him fly through the air, and her screaming at the Demogorgon, blood dipping down her face as she slowly disintegrated and disappeared into thin air right in front of him.

He'd never forget that moment; the moment she left him, just disappeared, never to be seen again. His friends slowly started to go back to normal, as they got distracted by other things and just stopped thinking about Eleven. Mike never did. How could he? How could he just forget the love of his life? Yes, to some, that may seem like a drastic term, but that's what Mike truly felt.

Mike never had much interest in girls. He never had crushes, he never really thought girls were pretty or cute, like his friends. He just ignored them. All he needed was the guys and D&D. But after Eleven? All he needed was her. She became his oxygen. When she disappeared, she took half of his heart with her, and he felt lost without it. She had become his life in just a few days. You can't just erase someone like that.

So yes, Michael Wheeler was totally, undoubtedly in love with Eleven, and he had no shame in it, and he would scream it from the top of a mountain for the whole world to hear. So for 353 days, he was lost and lonely and cried every other night as he gripped his SuperCom in his hand, tears dripping onto the black speaker as he listened the the quiet that spoke back to him. Some nights he'd fall asleep in her fort, sleeping a night of nightmares that made him wake up in a cold sweat with tears streaming down his face, and he'd start sobbing all over again.

But after a crazy few days that left him feeling heavy but still alert, and most of all, afraid, when she walked though the Byers' front door, with black clothing and dark makeup, all he'd noticed was her eyes; the same, hazel eyes that looked right back at him. Oh, how he'd missed those eyes. He'd dropped his stupid not-weapon on the floor as he pushed through the small crowd of people to stand in front of her, tears welling up in his eyes, because right there, in front of him, no longer a piece of his imagination, was Eleven.

Eleven: his love, his savior, his El. The girl who had saved him over and over. The girl who helped him discover what true love is like. The girl who had let her guard down and had given him a soft smile as he gifted her her name; a name that wasn't a number.

He'd rushed forward, then, as she did the same, and they collided in the middle in the most comforting, emotional, perfect hug of his entire life. He didn't care that everyone was watching. He didn't care that there were Demodogs running wild and a possessed Will in the house. All he cared about was El.

And then she'd told him that she'd heard him, that he wasn't just talking to himself but she was actually hearing him the whole time. He'd never been more shocked in his life. Or so, he thought, because then he saw Hopper, the chief police Jim Hopper, embrace her, like they knew each other,

like they were family.

So Mike exploded. He hit and punched the man, letting out all of his anger and sadness from the past 353 days that he's been crying and angry and missing his El. This man kept Eleven away from him. He had months to tell Mike about El. He had every opportunity to let the teen know that he was keeping the boy's love safe in a cabin with food and a bed instead of the Upside Down, which Mike was sure she was that whole time.

After hitting Hopper, he collapsed in the chief's arms with a sob as he cried and cried while the man held him and let him let out his sadness, because he understood why the kid was acting this way. He'd kept Eleven from him. For good reasons, yes, and he wouldn't change anything about what he did, but he still feels bad.

And after everything; after finding out that Eleven was still alive and well and that he could hold her again and see her beautiful face again, he had to let her go. Again. He has to watch her get into the cruiser, heading towards the Lab-Of-Doom, where he couldn't be there to protect her. He knew going back there was the last thing she wanted to do, but she was on a mission and she was going to complete that mission no matter what. So Mike had let her go, even though he knew he could lose her and that he might never see her again.

But before all of that, they had stood in the driveway, speaking in soft, choked voices while they gazed at each other. And then Eleven had started to lean in. She had started to lean in to kiss him, which had surprised him, but he had wanted it so much. But of course, Hopper had to ruin the moment and take his love away from him yet again. And Mike watched with tear-filled eyes as they had pulled out of the driveway.

Mike brushes past the others, stepping over Billy's unconscious body to sit down on the couch and put his head in his hands. He wants to think positive, but he can't help but only think about the fact that Eleven might die. That he may never see her again, after all of that. A few tears slide down his cheeks as he thinks about this.

The others watch as he does this with frowns on their faces, before they all depart, deciding to leave him alone and wait somewhere else for everyone to get back.

Dustin nudges Lucas' shoulder as the walk to the dining room table. "Dude, I knew that Mike was in love with Eleven, but I didn't know it was this much. Did you see his face that whole time?"

Lucas nods. "I know, man. He's been so depressed this whole time, and I knew it was because of El, but this is intense shit." He shakes his head. "I can't believe she's back."

"Yeah, me too. I'm glad, though. Maybe Mike will be less sassy all the time and have some fun for a change," Dustin scoffs. "I've had enough of him yelling at us and stomping away."

"Me too. That shit was not cool."

In the other room, Mike stands up from the couch to go and stand in front of the broken window and look out at the dark driveway. His heart hurts so bad and all he wants his for Hopper's cruiser to pull up and for Eleven to emerge from it. He wants to hold her and never let go. He wants to feel her soft lips against his again. He wants to hold her hand and be with her again. He wants to make up for those days spent apart.

He reaches up and wipes a dirty stray tear away as the November breeze blows against his cold face, drying the rest of his tears.

There's the sound of an engine, and the sound of tires on the dirt driveway, and Mike lifts his head in an instant, his heart leaping in his throat. He pulls away from the window and runs to open the door and stand in the doorway.

His heart drops, though, when, he realizes that the car is not Hopper's, but Jonathan's. Then he remembers that that means Will is back, and that he's hopefully better and well. He moves away as his sister, Joyce, and Jonathan, who is thankfully cradling a sleeping Will in his arms. The other teens run into the living room and crowd around Jonathan, who tells them to be quiet as they all start speaking at once. Mike stays back, just watching, unable to be happy when Eleven still isn't here.

Nancy looks over at her brother, who stands separate from his group of friend's with the saddest look on his face. She can see the streaks his tears left on his dirt-covered cheeks. She frowns and lets go of Jon's arm to stand by her little brother.

She squeezes his shoulder. "Hey, Mikey. You okay?"

He shakes his head with a humorless laugh. "No. Not at all. I feel like shit." He turns his head, looking at her with wide brown eyes. "What is she doesn't come back, Nance? What if she's gone?" he asks her in a choked voice, face so vulnerable and scared.

She wraps her arm around his shoulder. "She'll come back, Mike. She's so strong." He nods his head slowly, agreeing with her statement, though Nancy can tell he doesn't totally believe her. Her little brother is definitely stubborn, she'll give him that.

There's suddenly the crunching sound of tires from outside, and Mike pulls away from his sister faster than lightning, rushing to the window, and sure enough, there's Hopper's car pulling up. Mike breathes an "oh my God," before leaving the window to go yank the door open and run onto the front porch.

He watches as Hopper gets out of the car first. Mike searches for any sign of remorse on his face, but he doesn't see any, just sadness. Mike feels himself grow lighter as he relaxes a little bit, but not fully, because he still hasn't seen El and doesn't even know for sure if she's alive. So he waits and watches Hopper as he rounds the car, heading for the passenger side. Mike's eyes widen.

She's alive.

Hopper opens the door, and Mike starts to tremble in relief when he pulls out a sleeping El from the seat. Tears fill Mike's eyes again as he watches Hopper shut the door and start walking towards the house. Hopper spots a gaping Mike on the porch.

"She's okay, kid," Hopper says to him as he climbs up the steps. Mike looks down at the girl's face with awe and tear-filled eyes. It makes Hopper feel a little bit better about the kid, seeing his affection towards Eleven. It's very clear the Mike feels strongly for her.

Mike's eyes trace El's face. Her cheekbones and her upper lip are covered in blood and her skin is a weird color, but she's still El. Hopper goes around Mike to go inside. Mike follows behind him and watches him put her on the couch. Mike can't take it any longer and pushed past the tall man to kneel on the floor in front of her face. His heart starts to beat faster as he gazes at her pretty face. He can't believe that she's actually here and that she's okay and alive.

He reaches up and takes her soft hands in his, stroking his thumbs across her skin. He's crying again, but he doesn't care. She's back and he's holding her hands and all is well.

"El, it's me," he says in a soft, croaky voice. "It's Mike. You’re back. You’re home.”


	2. You're Home (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike waited 353 for his love to come back to him. And after waiting that long, he has to let her go to the place that held her hostage for 12 years. What if he loses her again? What will he do? But when Eleven comes back safe and back in his arms, he knows one thing for sure: she's home. For good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the love on the first chapter! It really means a lot. Here's the second chapter! :)

The first thing Eleven notices as she regains consciousness is the pain she is in. Her head is pounding, her muscles are throbbing. The second thing she notices is the she's laying on something soft and comfortable, though unfamiliar.

But the third thing she notices is the best one.

In her cold hands, are a pair of warm ones, clenching hers like their life depends on the contact. She knows, even without opening her eyes, that the person holding her hands is Mike. She can always feel his aura around her when he's there, and she feels that just now.

His hands grip hers tighter, gasping softly then whispers a shocked "El?" She peels her eyes open. She squints against the light for a second, but quickly focuses on the beautiful sight in front of her: Mike, in the flesh, where she can gaze into his chocolate eyes and touch his freckled cheeks.

Mike had been sitting on the floor with his hands clenching Eleven's for the past 20 minutes. The others had come in and out, checking on him, but mostly El, every once and awhile. Hopper would come and stand in the doorway, watching the teen boy hold the girl's hands.

The second Hopper had seen the two teens reunite, he had known that their relationship was something unique, that not many kids their age possessed. The way they gazed at each other was enough to give Hopper enough knowledge of how much they were connected to one another. And he knew, he just knew, there was no way he was going to get rid of this Wheeler kid. El would never let him.

So he gave up, because the two kids had been through enough this past year. Mike knew about El now, and there's nothing he can do about it. He'll let Mike be there when she wakes up, and he'll let Mike be there for other things too. He wouldn't keep them apart anymore.

Mike suddenly feels Eleven's hands move in his, squeezing his hand once. He looks up quickly to see her shifting a little bit. He gasps, searching her face. "El?" he whispers in astonishment. And then her eyes open, and he swears he forgets how to breathe when her hazel orbs meet his brown ones.

"Mike," she gasps, before he pulls her into his arms. She grips his sweatshirt as they squeeze each other tight. Eleven hasn't felt this safe in the past couple of days, but being in Mike's arms makes her feel at home again. She's missed him so much.

Mike's tears start to fall onto shoulder, soaking her black coat. "I can't believe you're okay. I was so scared. I had just gotten you back and then I could've lost you again, and I-"

"Mike," El interrupts. "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." He holds her tighter, and her own eyes start to fill with tears, because she's so happy that she's safe and that she has Mike back in her arms and that he's  _real_ and not just in the Void where she can't touch him without him disintegrating.

There was not enough words in any language to describe what Mike is feeling in this moment. Feeling her, warm and solid in his arms is an indescribable feeling after missing her for so long and longing for her sweet touch.

He pulls away so he can gaze at her pretty face while he speaks. "I missed you so much, El. So, so much. I was so lost without you," -he chokes back his tears- "I like a different person. Like all of the colors and light had been drawn from me.

She raises a tentative hand to graze her fingers against his warm, wet cheek. "I missed you, too, Mike. Hopper wouldn't let me see you. I asked and he said no." Mike feels himself start to get angry at the man again, but he pushes it away, for her.

"I can't believe you've been with him this whole time. You were  _so close_." He sniffles. She wipes away one of his stray tears with one of the fingers resting on his cheek.

She nods her head. "I know. That...made it harder. For me. Knowing that you were so close but I couldn't see you." He swallows roughly as he attempts to fathom this whole situation. That's when he gets a good look at her.

Her always-angelic face is almost the same, if a bit older. Her hazel eyes are exactly the same; sparkling, but gleaming with unshed tears he wishes weren't there. Everything's the same, except for one thing: her hair.

He takes his hand off her hip and raises it to her hair, stroking it lovingly. He loved her without hair. He loved her with a wig. And now, he loves her with her own-though slicked back-chestnut locks. He can't wait to see it without the gel (which he will later, when he's not distracted by other matters, wonder where the hell she got the clothes and makeup and gel from.)

He also realizes another thing as he sits there, the two staring at each other with eager eyes. "You're talking in full sentences. Has Hopper been teaching you?" he asks. A sweet blush blooms on her cheeks, and she glances downwards, nodding her head.

"Yes. He's been doing Word of the Day with me, teaching me words and how to have...con-ver-say-tions," she says carefully. He smiles a little at her careful pronunciation.

"Well, you're really good at it." He pauses, running a finger over her hair. "Not to mention your hair."

She looks back up at him, her doe eyes meeting his, making his heart feel like it's going to burst from the love he feels for her. Her blush grows deeper. "Pretty?" she asks, and he sees a small flash of insecurity flash in her hazel orbs, looking a lot like the small girl standing in front of the mirror all of those days ago.

He nods. "Y-yeah, super pretty. Beautiful, actually." She smiles that perfect smile at him; the one with closed lips and flashing dimples, and he feels himself swoon a little at the view.

"El's awake!" a voice, sounding oddly like Dustin's, shouts. The duo looks away from each other to look at the other teen. "Guys! El's awake!" Before you could count to three, the room went from peaceful to loud as the Party bustles into the living area, along with the adults and older teens. 

El and Mike drop their hands from each other, but El grabs Mike's hands, lacing their fingers together shyly. He gives her a smile, his cheeks blushing. She gives him a similar one back. That's the last moment they share before El is bombarded by everyone, a million questions being thrown her way.

It goes like this for the next hour, with everyone asking questions, while Hopper yells at them, telling them to calm down, as he can see by her posture that El is getting a little overwhelmed. There's thank-yous and missed-yous, laughs and hugs. And the whole time, Mike and El's hands stay intertwined.

Later, everyone starts to get tired, and the conversations start to die down. Steve fell asleep, as did Lucas and Max, who, Mike notices, are also holding hands, (he'll have to ask Lucas about that sometime.)

"Alright, it's time to get you kids home," Hopper announces at 11:00 o'clock. Everyone groans, and Mike's hand tightens around Eleven's.  _Leave_? He expects him to just  _leave_ after all of this? Just leave El behind? No, not happening.

Mike lets go of El's hand and stands up. "I'm not leaving," he states confidently.

Hopper sigh exasperatedly. "Kid..."

"No! You're not going to make me leave! You already kept El from me for 353 fucking days. I'm not ready to leave her. I bet you're just going to lock her up all over again, aren't you? I'll never be able to see her again. Well, that's not happening! Not with me around!" Mike takes a deep breath after his outburst while everyone stares at him.

Hopper rubs his eyes. El stands up and takes Mike's hand again, obviously taking his side; agreeing. The two stare at the man with hard expressions. Joyce takes a step away from Jonathan to put a hand on Hop's shoulder. "C'mon, Hop. The kids can stay the night. We'll scrounge up some blankets and sleeping bags and they'll sleep on the floor. It's fine."

Hopper's stony face relaxes at the woman's soft, reassuring voice, and it's obvious she's wearing him down a bit. Hopper sighs before replying, "Okay, fine. We'll all stay, but we're leaving tomorrow so the Byers can have their house back."

The kids all cheer, and Mike grins at El, who smiles back tiredly. Next, the adults start to figure out sleeping arrangements while the kids and teens go and search for blankets and sleeping bags. 

El ends up getting put in Joyce's bedroom, as she will be sleeping with Will in his room. All of the kids and teens are put in the living room, except for Steve, who ends up leaving because he claims he can get away with coming home at midnight.

But, despite being allowed to stay with El, Mike is still not happy. He's squished between Nancy and Dustin, who's snoring in his ear. It's definitely not what he imagined when he requested that they stay the night. 

He tosses and turns, unable to find a comfortable position. He can't stop thinking about the fact that El is just right down the hall, close enough that he can stand up and walk straight to her room and see her. 

It's absolute torture.

Then, as if she'd heard his thoughts-which he wouldn't be surprised if she did-there, near the entrance to the hall, stands Eleven, clad in some sweatpants and a t-shirt, makeup-free and with gel-less hair. It's dark, but he can make out the shape of the poof which is her hair as he sits up in his sleeping bag.

"Mike," she whispers into the darkness. He stands up and maneuvers around the sleeping bodies spread across the floor. He jumps over Lucas, and he's in front of El. He gives her a smile, even though she probably can't see it. 

"Hi," he whispers back. "Is something wrong?"

She shakes her head. Eleven had tried to fall asleep in the unfamiliar bed, but she had no luck, mainly because she couldn't stop thinking about Mike. All she wanted was to be with him, after being separate from him for so long. Being in two different rooms, so close yet so far, was absolute torture. 

So, she took matters into her own hands in got out of bed to go get Mike and ask if he'd sleep with her. Now, Eleven glances at Mike's shadowy face.

"Lonely. Can you maybe...come back to my bed? With me?" she asks him shyly. She swears she sees his cheeks get pink, but it's very hard to tell in the dark.

"U-uh..." He trails off, glancing at the couch where Hopper lays, asleep. "Y-yeah. Yeah, sure, El." Mike has now power against those doe eyes of hers.

 _Damn, he's in trouble_.

But then Eleven grins.  _Grins_. And it's one of the brightest, best things in the world because she's never smiled like that for him. Never, ever. And he falls even deeper in love with her in this moment. This moment where they're finally together. This moment where he's no longer wondering if she's actually live. This moment where it feels like they're the only people on earth.

She grabs his hand and pulls him down the hall, the both of them tip-toeing across the wood floors. She pulls him into Joyce's room. Thankfully, she leaves the door open. Mike hopes Hopper won't be too mad that a teenage boy is sleeping in the same bed as his daughter.

El walks towards the bed, pulling him along with her. She hops up onto the bed, getting under the covers and sending him one of the sneakiest smiles he's ever seen, leaving him slightly taken aback.

He gets in next to her, deciding not to worry about the outcome of this anymore because if it means he gets to be with El all night, he really doesn't care about how mad Hopper might be in the morning. Nothing will make Mike regret El. Not even Hopper, the chief police.

The two turn towards each other, sharing lovesick smiles. Joyce's room is slightly lighter than the living room, so Mike can see her better now. He reaches out, brushing his hand against her curls.

_Fucking. Curls. She will be the death of me._

"You have curls," he states. She smiles shyly.

"Yes. It grew out and turned into this." She reaches up and brushes her own hand against her hair.

He uses his hand on her hair to take her own, intertwining there fingers and pulling them away from her head. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful." She blushes again, and Mike doesn't think he'll ever get over how cute her blush is.

They lay there for a couple of seconds before Eleven speaks. "Your voice is different," she observes. "And you're taller and your hair's fluffier." She ruffles his hair. He grins at her.

"Yeah. I've changed, too. But I'm still Mike," he replies, shrugging. She nods.

"Still Mike," she repeats. Her eyes start to drift closed, and Mike can tell she's close to falling to sleep. He creeps closer to her, squeezes her hand once, and then closes his own eyes.

"Goodnight, El," he whispers lovingly. "Welcome home."

And in the morning, the chief will awake to an empty sleeping bag where that Wheeler boy once lay, and he'll just shake his head, knowing exactly where the kid is, but he trusts Mike, and he knows he wouldn't hurt El.

But, he does grunt at the obvious fact that there's no way he's getting rid of the kid. Not with El around.

Because Mike is a part of her home, just as much as Hopper is, and he won't take that away from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this short story. I will be adding one shots to this series, so feel free to give me suggestions in the comments, though I have some ideas. ;) Also, in a lot of stories I've read, Hopper has been really, really protective over El, and I get that, but he kind of hates Mike, and honestly, I don't think that would be fair. Mike was the one the housed Eleven for a week and fed her and was the one that got her to where she was when Hopper found her. El would've been alone in the woods somewhere, hungry and cold, if it weren't for Mike, so I think Hopper acting angry towards Mike would be totally unfair. So I wanted to write it this way, where Hopper accepts Mike and accepts that Mike will be a part of their life now. Anyways, yeah, I just wanted to make a note about that. Also, Every Breath You Take came on while I was writing the part where she opened her eyes and i wAS CRYING.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so, um, I've been reading Mileven fics since late June on here, and let me just say I'm obsessed. But anyways, the thought of actually joining and writing my own fics never crossed my mind, but here I am. I am a writer who writes teen fiction, but am also totally obsessed with Stranger Things and Mileven, so I said "so what?" and decided to start. So I hope you enjoyed my first ever work on here, and I can't wait to write more! Also, this is a two-part story :)


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